2009 WAYLAND DREW NATURAL HERITAGE AWARD

Bob Bowles

Bob Bowles recently founded the Kids for Turtles Environmental Education program based out of Orillia, Ontario but this could only be called his most recent endeavor in a long list of life accomplishments.

Bob is well known for his passion for natural history and the environment and in sharing his knowledge with others.  There are few who are as knowledgeable about Ontario's mushrooms, plants, birds, butterflies, dragonflies and other insects, reptiles and amphibians.  He is an expert on the Carden Alvar and has done biological inventories and compiled species lists and check lists for the area.  Bob frequently volunteers his time at Dark Skies parties to show kids of all ages bugs and other creatures in the night.

It may be safe to say that education is his passion and he has provided countless hours of volunteer time in leading nature tours, conducting workshops and in sharing his passion and knowledge with others.  He founded several groups including the Muskoka Field Naturalists and the Carden Field Naturalists and has participated in Christmas bird counts, butterfly counts, dragonfly counts and countless inventories and surveys related to natural history.

He has worked in partnership with Bird Studies Canada, Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ontario Nature.  Bob's community efforts have been well-recognized as he has received many awards. For example, he is an honorary member of Ontario Nature; he received the Province of Ontario's Leading Volunteer for 2006, the 2006 Order of Orillia and 2007 Orillia Citizen of the Year.

Bob worked for Ontario Hydro in Gravenhurst until his retirement in 2000.  He lives in Orillia with his wife Connie and their 2 teenage sons.